LECH JANERKA "Historia Podwodna" LP [Tonpress, 1986]

Today's post is one of my favorite/most played albums as of the last two years or so and has been on the agenda to post in my head for a long while now. LECH JANERKA is a solo project of KLAUS MITFFOCH's bassist after that band broke up. This first solo album shows much more pop sensibilities than KLAUS MITFFOCH ever demonstrated, but still firmly rooted in the post-punk/new wave sounds. I like this album for the same reasons that I love BLONDIE, a lot of stylistic diversity between songs, incredible song writing and excellent production. Truly an album that is adventurous but doesn't falter in delivering infectious songs. My favorite being Jest jak w niebie, it's an incredible atmospheric, driven and catchy song, it gets stuck in my head frequently. Apparently there's an electronically processed cello throughout this album that I haven't previously picked up on too, pretty wild. Lech Janerka is also heralded as one of the most musically talented artists in the Polish rock history and has remained staunchly anti-commercial throughout his musical career and despite this first solo album and KLAUS MITFFOCH's LP being so critically acclaimed and universally loved.   

A1 Lola (Chce Zmieniać Świat)
A2 Epidemia Epilepsji
A3 Konstytucje
A4 Reformator
A5 Tryki Na Start
B1 Niewole
B2 Jest Jak W Niebie
B3 Historia Podwodna
B4 Ta Zabawa Nie Jest Dla Dziewczynek

dl link:
Lech Janerka!

PAXTA-CORE, Underground Uzbekistan [Tian An Men 89 Records, 2006]

Second post of the day follow the Underground Tajikistan LP below. The PAXTA-CORE comp LP is amazing, somehow an alternative music scene is able to exist in the dictatorship and kingdom of cotton Uzbekistan. The music here, like the Tajikistan LP, are varied in quality and style. I think the bands here have more of an overall distinct style that is uniquely Uzbek and the comp flows really well. Тупратикон's and then Броген Боген start the comp with some classic Siberian/Soviet inspired punk rock music followed by Слезы Солнца's great indie rock punk songs. Next is БГмольцы и ГрОбовержцы which by a name like that is definitely influenced by GRAZHDANSKAYA OBORONA, except their music is like minimal-siberian-synth-punk, great track! The final song on side A is by Хардкор Опа, a highly satirical, raw, blown out and noisy central asian styled punk band, with lyrics all in Uzbek instead of Russian, one of the highlights of the comp in my opinion.

Side B is kicked off with Red-Акция, absolutely brilliant example of political/critical Soviet/Siberian punk rock. Definitely my favorite tracks on the compilation. Скисерз and Сучий Потрох finish off the side with more classic sounding central Asian punk rock music, lots of fuzzy guitars and lo-fi recordings, brilliant stuff!

A1 –Tupratikon’S*  Бабушка КГБ = Grandmother KGB (Live)
A2 –Tupratikon'S*  Дегенерат = Degenerate
A3 –Brogen Bogen* Грязные Улицы = Dirty Streets
A4 –Slezy Solntsa* Hello Russian
A5 –Slezy Solntsa* Вверх По Течению = Upstream
A6 –BGmoltsy I GrObovyerzhtsy* Капитуляция = Capitulation
A7 –Hardcore Opa* Ленин Йўлидан = Lenin Yulidan
B1 –Red-Aktsiya* Война = War
B2 –Red-Aktsiya* Крассный Рассвет = Red Dawn
B3 –Red-Aktsiya* Победа = Victory
B4 –Red-Aktsiya* Путеводная Звезда = Guiding Star
B5 –Skisserz* Как Птица = Like A Bird
B6 –Skisserz* Попрыгунья Стрекоза = Poprygunya Strekoza
B7 –Suchiy Potrokh* Мертвое Тело = Dead Body
B8 –Suchiy Potrokh* Милая Моя = My Dear

dl link:
Underground Uzbekistan!

P.S. URGENT-URGENT-URGENT
I've discovered that more tapes do exist of Red-Aktsiya, Hardcore Opa and Skisserz, if you have any info of where to find mp3s, please please please get in contact with me!

Хардкор Опа ‎– A.A. tape 2002























Сучий Потрох / Skisserz - Сплит Demo 20??

Red-Акция ‎– Рожденные Революцией 20??

DUSHANBE PUNKERS AND ROCKERS, Underground Tajikistan [Tian An Men 89 Records, 2006]

Today I'm posting two of my favorite compilations ever put out. The first of which we have here, the amazing "Душанбинские Панки И Рокеры" Underground TAJIKISTAN LP released by Tian An Men 89 records in 2006. When Luk, the founder of TAM89 records, traveled to Tajikistan for his work, even his most well-informed post-soviet punk contacts were doubtful of him finding any sort of alternative music in the land of the Pamirs. But, lo and behold, there was a thriving scene in the poorest of all the post-soviet states. 

This LP has varied quality and varied style throughout, my personal favorite probably being the first band Зло, who have the best  characteristically lo-fi, stripped down, raw, not-over-effected punk approach that only Siberian and Central Asian bands seem to be able to pull off. They even do a KINO cover of one of my favorite songs "Малыш". There's even a band that performs a polished, well recorded metal song like MOTORHEAD. I love the indie rock song by Западны Квартал on the record too. Ночь also gives a stand out track on the comp in my opinion, more in the traditional Central Asian punk style.

A1 –Zlo* Скамейки = Benches
A2 –Zlo* Малыш = Baby
A3 –Zlo* Зто Больше Не Важио = It Doesn't Matter Anymore
A4 –Zlo* Моя Злость = My Malice
A5 –Kide & The Jeans Community Причастие = Eucharist
A6 –Ragnarock The End Of Something
A7 –Ieroglif*   Синоптики = Synoptics
B1 –Zapadny Kvartal*   Autumn To Blame
B2 –Noch'*     Окна = Eye
B3 –Khorog Rock Band* Theven Darna, Live In Khorog
B4 –Zvukovaya Artyel'* Только Два Раза = Only Twice
B5 –Zvukovaya Artyel'* Блудные Дети = Prodigal Children
B6 –Trush-Oba*     Unknown Title, Live In Chkalovsk

dl link:
Underground Tajikistan!

ONE MILLION BULGARIANS "Pierwsza Płyta" LP/CD [Razem, 1987/Noise Annoys, 2004]

One of the best Polish dark wave releases of the communist era, 2nd only to SIEKIERA's Nowa Aleksandria in my opinion. One Million Bulgarians recorded this album in 1987 with it being pressed by state run company Razem later that year but remained unreleased because of state censorship and its anti-communist lyrics until 2004 when it got a CD reissue by Noise Annoys. Interestingly, I just learned tonight that some physical vinyl copies from 1987 exist! According to the blog post [http://artbazaar.blogspot.com/2012/10/widmowa-pytoteka-2-one-milion-bulgarians.html] and an online translator, only a dozen or so copies exist and they are all in the hands of people who worked in the record publishing companies in Poland during that time period. I'd call this the holy grail of Polish punk record collecting or sure. If you want to sell me a copy hit me up! 

This album's atmosphere is perfectly summarized by it's dystopian nightmare artwork by the devastatingly brilliant Zdzisław Beksiński. Expect nothing but a decaying fantasy that has long lost its beauty and has rotten into eternal despair. The drums and bass are the forefront and really drive this record, the drums sound huge, like they were recorded in a gigantic, concrete factory, while the bass and guitars have the perfect tone to reflect a grey, polluted, industrialized, no future reality. 'Animal Love' is one of the catchiest songs of the dark wave genre that I can think of. Lyrically I wish I could comment more on it, but my Polish isn't good enough to absorb the two lyrics I've found so far, the first track and last... If you have more lyrics, please share them!

dl link:
One Million Bulgarians!

Wysadzony za wysoko (Blown Too High)

wydawało nam życie kolorowe aspiracje

upadają gdzieś w kącie moje nowe marzenia

zakręcony mam umysł obrotami waszych twarzy

już od dziś ulepszony eksperyment

test ważny

oszukany idealnie walę głową w stół

jestem wrogiem milczenia

tak jak kamień zaklęty

minimalnie skruszony jestem wrogiem brzydoty

dzięki hasłom wyssanym jestem teraz

ujemnie naładowany

połamane będą słowa

przyjdą myśli chore

połamane będą prawa

wysadzone jak mosty

wymierają wojownicy

wyskoczyłeś za wysoko

woda leje się z góry

zmyje łzy z twoich oczu

wydawało nam życie kolorowe aspiracje

umierają gdzieś w kącie moje nowe marzenia

zakręcony mam umysł obrotami waszych twarzy

już od dziś ulepszony eksperyment

test ważny

połamałem obie ręce o ścianę i podłogę

takie słowa są tylko

są tylko dla zdrowych

taką drogą nie wolno

nie wolno nam chodzić!

coraz głośniej słychać

jak spadają wasze głowy

połamane będą słowa

przyjdą myśli chore

połamane będą prawa

wysadzone jak mosty

wymierają wojownicy

wyskoczyłeś za wysoko

woda leje się z góry

zmyje łzy z twoich oczu

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Czerwone krzaki (Red Bushes)

czerwone krzaki daję kobiecie
i znowu jestem na drzewie

czerwone krzaki mogę wam sprzedać
i tak nie pójdę do nieba

maj - to wtedy kwitną kwiaty
pachnie gaj
to wtedy czarne diabły zjedzą was
to wtedy runie w dół fala i jazz
to wtedy pękną kwiaty, spłynie krew...

wyrwane z ziemi do samych korzeni
czerwone krzaki spływają w dół

wy tez dacie krzaki, będziecie na drzewie
lecz dzisiaj nikt o tym nie wie

ZIYO "s/t" LP [1989, Wifon, Poland]

"And what is behind us and next to us

It does not matter now, never mind now

And just sometimes, I want to change the world

Change the world, I want to change the world

And do not tell me

That the truth always lies in the middle

And do not tell me"

This winter I've been obsessively listening to Polish punk and cold wave from the communist era. All the bands are incredible, both musically and lyrically. 

This is a truly under appreciated gem old polish cold wave that should be mentioned in the same breath as SIEKIERA, ONE MILLION BULGARIANS, 1984, MADAME or MADE IN POLAND. However, ZIYO are more on the atmospheric side (like MADE IN POLAND's 2nd Tonpress EP) rather than the aggressive/dark cold wave that I would put SIEKIERA or ONE MILLION BULGARIANS in my head. This debut album is something to get lost in and let the music envelop your mind. 

ZIYO started in 1986 and played the legendary Jarocin Fesitval from which they had a lot of opportunities to record which eventually lead them to be offered this LP which was recorded in 250 hours in 1987 and then due to long productions wasn't released until 1989 by Wifon. Unfortunately, their subsequent LP was weirdly metal-influenced and nowhere near the quality of this first album. I'm unsure whether their later albums see a return to their great beginnings or not... 

dl link:

ZIYO 1989 S/T

ГРАЖДАНСКАЯ ОБОРОНА "Война" альбом [1989, ГрОб/XOP, 2001]

Jumping off from the previous post of old USSR post-punk groups, today I have the infamous and classic Siberian USSR punk groups ГРАЖДАНСКАЯ ОБОРОНА (Grazhdanskaya Oborona/Civil Defense) from Omsk, a city just a few hours north of the Kazakhstan border in south Siberia. This is their album that was recorded towards the end of 1989 called Война (Voyna/War). 

Unlike the previous bands I've talked about, GrOb were completely underground up until the fall of the USSR. Their releases were only distributed from person to person via tape recorders from stereos throughout the USSR and never were properly released until the fall of the USSR. This system of distributing censored music was called magnitizdat. Their singer/frontman/song writer Yegor Letov was even captured, interrogated and tortured by the KGB after the aunt of one of his bass players in the early days outed them for "anti-communist" activities. The official slogan of GrOb was "I will always be against". Musically and lyrically GrOb were one of the most subversive punk bands to ever exist on the planet in my opinion. Completely unique Siberian-styled punk that is almost folky but completely noisy, blown out, fast and driven punk. The noise levels are at the same level as Japanese punk bands like GAI for Confuse. I have no idea how the context of the sound for GrOb was imagined or created without hearing or being influenced by western punk acts, but amazingly enough, it does exist on it's own pillar of originality and creativity and developed completely on it's own based on all the info I've been able to find. 

Lyrically, GrOb are one of the most brutal and honest bands in critiquing their surroundings. The opening and title track has Letov screaming "Peace or War? WAR!... God or Death? DEATH!... Love or Fear? FEAR!... Freedom or The Lash? THE LASH!". 

Or the third track Философская Песня О Пуле (Philosophical Song about a Bullet) the lyrics are

"Wicked bullet, teach me to live
Good stone, teach me to swim
        Humanism spawned genocide
        Justice has given the tribunal
        Deviations of established law
        What we sow - and then are reaping"

Or their Song About Lenin (Песня О Ленине)...

Lenin - Hitler, Lenin - Stalin is
Lenin - is Kim Il Sung, Lenin - is Mao
Lenin - the Buddha, Christ, Abel and Cain
Lenin - is the yin and yang, Lenin - is the Tao
Lenin - a joke that we have poisoned
Lenin - is a carrot, by which we beckon
Lenin - is the hand that we mold
Lenin is a spotlight that blinds us
Lenin - is a hammer which we pierce
Lenin - that is all that drives us
Lenin - a tank that crushed us
Lenin - is the truth that we have poisoned
Lenin - is the bullet that cures us
Lenin - is the fear that cripples us
Lenin - is an ass, that we all stink
Lenin - is the blood that we slurp
Lenin - Hitler, Lenin - Stalin is
Lenin - is Kim Il Sung, Lenin - is Mao
Forever young, forever with us
He always, always alive!
      Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will live
      Lenin will be, will be
      Lenin, Lenin will live!

There's a level of self-destructive, melancholic, desperate and urgency that I can only find in GrOb's music. I can only imagine what context this album was recorded... Right at the end of the USSR, the end of communism, the end of an era, the end of the world is what life must have felt like for people at this time, and the 4 (FOUR!) albums recorded and released by GrOb in 1989 reflect this. I read a very interesting interview conducted with Letov after the fall of the USSR and how people in the USA can't imagine the hostility, danger and environment in which he operated to make his art in the USSR and that people in America do not know what true oppression is, or something to that effect. Unfortunately the Kill From The Heart original website is down, they had that incredible interview available there.

Download link:
Voyna!

V/A "Red Wave: 4 Underground Bands From The USSR" 2xLP, Disc 1 [Big Time, 1986]

After the incredibly troubling, unfortunate, heartbreaking news of Tuesday, November 9th, here in the USA, it seems like we are headed towards a really bleak and regressive future. For the last week I've found the sounds of the old USSR punk/post-punk bands to reflect the sadness and hopelessness that I am feeling. It's also inspiring to look at bands that thrived and persevered through harder times than what the USA has yet experienced as a whole country.

Today's record is a very interesting US released double LP (Although I'm only posting disc 1) of Soviet Post-Punk bands from 1986 that was smuggled out of the USSR by Joanna Stingray, a young woman who travelled to the USSR and became friends with the artists. I'm choosing to only post the first disc because I find the music of AQUARIUM (Аквариум) and KINO (Кино) to be more interesting. I'll probably post the 2nd disc sometime in the future.

The first band AQUARIUM are excellent, experimental post-punk that definitely have a Soviet-Rock defining sound. It's great hearing their music after being intimately familiar with the material on the early 2000s releases of punk bands from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and to be able to see how a lot of those bands owe their sound to old bands like AQUARIUM and KINO, who are still major influences in Russia/Ex-Soviet states to this day. The recording production on the LP is amazing, a perfect balance between raw and clean, and amazingly enough, the whole record was recorded on a 2-track. I find it amazing to make something that sounds this good with a 2-track. Analog is truly the superior recording medium for punk.

Here's a video that was made of AQUARIUM's first song off the comp, excellent stuff:

The band following on side b is the legendary KINO, who are THE reference in Soviet rock. Interesting fun fact, their front person VIKTOR TSOI is of Korean decent and is considered one of the first Rockers in the USSR, and like-wise, one of the first Rockers in China was also of Korean decent. KINO plays some of the best post-punk in my opinion, and play in a style completely their own. I especially like the fact that both AQUARIUM and KINO have a sad/bleak undertone to them without being 'Goth' or 'dark' at all in their sound. The entire history of KINO is worth looking up.

Also, here is a great video of KINO from the 80s:

As far as Soviet-Punk/Rock goes, bands like AQUARIUM and KINO, although unofficial (that is, not state approved), still held a fairly privileged position. They weren't detained, harassed or interrogated by the KGB/the state authorities. In the future I will have to post the music of and write about bands/artists like Grazhdanskaya Oborona (Гражданская Оборона) and Yanka Dyagileva (Янка Дягилева) who were captured and interrogated by the KGB for their subversive lyrics, music and activities. These artists are the true Soviet underground.

Finally here are videos of Joanna Stingray talking about the release of the LP in the 80s:

Download link:
Red Wave Disc 1!